fbpx

Breaking: League Adopts Unified Standings Format & Updated Playoff Structure for 2023-24 Season

×
WK
1
Fri, Dec 1
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Halifax
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Albany
Las Vegas
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
Sat, Dec 2
19:00:00
Calgary
Rochester
Sat, Dec 2
19:30:00
Philadelphia
New York
WK
2
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Dec 9
19:30:00
Colorado
Georgia
Sat, Dec 9
20:00:00
Rochester
Saskatchewan
Sat, Dec 9
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sun, Dec 10
16:00:00
Las Vegas
Panther City
WK
3
Fri, Dec 15
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Sat, Dec 16
13:00:00
Albany
Philadelphia
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
Halifax
New York
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
San Diego
Buffalo
Sat, Dec 16
22:00:00
Georgia
Vancouver
WK
4
Fri, Dec 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Panther City
Fri, Dec 22
21:00:00
Georgia
Colorado
Sat, Dec 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Rochester
WK
5
Fri, Dec 29
18:30:00
Philadelphia
Halifax
Fri, Dec 29
19:30:00
Georgia
Buffalo
Fri, Dec 29
22:00:00
Rochester
San Diego
Sat, Dec 30
16:00:00
New York
Toronto
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sun, Dec 31
20:00:00
Albany
Saskatchewan
WK
6
Sat, Jan 6
19:00:00
Halifax
Albany
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Panther City
Georgia
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Colorado
Buffalo
Sun, Jan 7
15:00:00
New York
Philadelphia
WK
7
Fri, Jan 12
18:30:00
Toronto
Halifax
Fri, Jan 12
22:00:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Buffalo
Rochester
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Panther City
New York
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Albany
Georgia
Sat, Jan 13
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Jan 13
22:00:00
Calgary
Vancouver
WK
8
Fri, Jan 19
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
Georgia
Toronto
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
San Diego
Albany
Sat, Jan 20
20:00:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sat, Jan 20
21:00:00
Calgary
Colorado
WK
9
Fri, Jan 26
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Jan 27
18:00:00
Rochester
Halifax
Sat, Jan 27
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
San Diego
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 27
22:00:00
Panther City
Las Vegas
WK
10
Fri, Feb 2
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 2
19:30:00
Vancouver
Georgia
Fri, Feb 2
21:00:00
New York
Calgary
Sat, Feb 3
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Albany
Sat, Feb 3
19:30:00
Rochester
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 3
20:00:00
Panther City
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 3
21:00:00
Toronto
Calgary
Sun, Feb 4
18:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
WK
11
Fri, Feb 9
18:30:00
Las Vegas
Halifax
Fri, Feb 9
20:00:00
Colorado
Panther City
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Calgary
Toronto
Sat, Feb 10
19:30:00
San Diego
New York
Sat, Feb 10
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Vancouver
WK
12
Fri, Feb 16
18:30:00
Buffalo
Halifax
Fri, Feb 16
22:00:00
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Sat, Feb 17
19:00:00
Colorado
Albany
Sun, Feb 18
19:00:00
Halifax
Calgary
WK
13
Fri, Feb 23
21:00:00
New York
Colorado
Fri, Feb 23
22:00:00
Georgia
San Diego
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Rochester
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Vancouver
Toronto
Sat, Feb 24
19:30:00
Albany
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 24
20:00:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 24
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Calgary
Sun, Feb 25
16:00:00
Georgia
Panther City
WK
14
Fri, Mar 1
19:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Fri, Mar 1
20:00:00
San Diego
Panther City
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Toronto
Las Vegas
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Buffalo
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 2
13:00:00
Calgary
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 2
19:00:00
New York
Albany
Sat, Mar 2
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Colorado
Sat, Mar 2
22:00:00
Toronto
San Diego
Sun, Mar 3
16:00:00
Rochester
Panther City
WK
15
Fri, Mar 8
19:00:00
Vancouver
Albany
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Calgary
Georgia
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 9
17:00:00
Colorado
Toronto
Sat, Mar 9
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Mar 9
19:30:00
Las Vegas
New York
Sat, Mar 9
22:00:00
Halifax
San Diego
Sun, Mar 10
15:00:00
Panther City
Philadelphia
WK
16
Fri, Mar 15
18:30:00
Panther City
Halifax
Fri, Mar 15
21:00:00
San Diego
Calgary
Fri, Mar 15
22:00:00
Las Vegas
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Rochester
Albany
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 16
19:30:00
Philadelphia
Georgia
Sat, Mar 16
20:30:00
New York
Saskatchewan
WK
17
Fri, Mar 22
20:00:00
Buffalo
Panther City
Fri, Mar 22
21:00:00
Albany
Calgary
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Halifax
Toronto
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 23
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
New York
Sat, Mar 23
21:00:00
Rochester
Colorado
Sat, Mar 23
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Mar 24
17:30:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
WK
18
Sat, Mar 30
13:00:00
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 30
19:00:00
Halifax
Rochester
Sat, Mar 30
19:30:00
Toronto
New York
Sat, Mar 30
22:00:00
Vancouver
Las Vegas
WK
19
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Buffalo
Colorado
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Panther City
San Diego
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Halifax
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
New York
Rochester
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Apr 6
19:30:00
Las Vegas
Georgia
Sat, Apr 6
20:00:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 7
16:00:00
Philadelphia
Panther City
WK
20
Fri, Apr 12
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Colorado
Sat, Apr 13
19:00:00
Rochester
Toronto
Sat, Apr 13
19:30:00
Calgary
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 13
20:00:00
San Diego
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
Colorado
Las Vegas
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sun, Apr 14
16:00:00
Albany
Panther City
WK
21
Fri, Apr 19
19:30:00
Rochester
Georgia
Fri, Apr 19
22:00:00
Vancouver
San Diego
Sat, Apr 20
18:00:00
Colorado
Halifax
Sat, Apr 20
19:30:00
Albany
New York
Sat, Apr 20
20:00:00
Toronto
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 20
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 20
22:00:00
Buffalo
Las Vegas
Sun, Apr 21
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Powered By
MGM Logo
Scores / Schedule
Game Recaps

Wings comeback falls short after celebration of return to Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — There were colorful lights on the floor and the ceiling and the glass. There was an enormous chrome letter W. It had lights, too. And four flamethrowers sat adjacent. In the lower level, men in kilts blared bagpipes. A third musician drummed between them. A youth lacrosse team stormed the field after a video animation played on the same surface. Hot tubs bubbled upstairs.

 

Halfway through all the commotion that came with lacrosse’s jubilous return to the Wells Fargo Center, the home team was introduced. They bumped fists. They pumped up a crowd of 11,023. They watched their predecessors trickle out of a tunnel to the sound of roaring applause. Then, with helmets on and sticks in hand, they stood and watched as banners honoring their franchise’s championship history — and the three players who most contributed to it — ascended to the rafters.

 

“It was like Philly never left,” rookie forward Chris Cloutier said.

 

Later, Wings head coach and general manager Paul Day acknowledged the idle time might have played a part in the quick three-goal deficit in which his team found itself at the onset of an eventual 17-15 loss to the Buffalo Bandits (1-0) on Saturday afternoon.

 

But the celebration, he said, was worth it.

 

“It was fantastic to see the banners go up and all the old guys I used to play against and coach against,” Day said, “I’m not going to use that as an excuse, that’s for sure.”

 

Minutes before all the pomp and circumstance, the Wings’ arena host interviewed a fan on the jumbotron. The fan, clad in a red and black jersey representative of an era now gone, answered questions about his favorite favorite lacrosse team’s return with excitement. But when he was asked about what would make all of this excitement worthwhile, the fan offered a one-word reply.

 

“Winning,” the fan said.

 

As assistant captain Jordan Hall and young forwards Cloutier and Matt Rambo answered questions after the game, that was the reality to which they continuously came back. The Wings lost. The intensity of pregame festivities evaporated before Philadelphia could even touch the ball, because the Bandits took 30 seconds to turn the opening faceoff into a Thomas Hoggarth goal. A quiet crowd fell nearly silent after Corey Small added one of five first-half goals a little more than a minute later.

 

But that intensity didn’t wane in the Wings. Despite not beating Buffalo goalie Matt Vinc once in the game’s first nine minutes, Josh Currier leveled a Bandit over the boards and into the visitor’s bench. Wings goalie Doug Buchan made some impressive saves. And when transition Vaughn Harris scored to make it 3-1, the scoreboard showed the signs of life that the Wings never fully lost.

 

The two teams mostly traded goals for the remainder of the half. Cloutier and Currier notched one goal each. Defenseman Steph Charbonneau popped a surprise goal in transition. Hall set a firm off-ball screen and rolled to the crease for an easy goal of his own. But when Buffalo defender Steve Priolo rolled a ball underneath Buchan for a 10-7 Bandits lead midway through the second quarter, Day opted for Davide DiRuscio, who stopped five of six shots on net before halftime, several of which came in a five-on-three situation.

 

“It’s great just to change the momentum,” Day said. “We’ve got two young goalies. Twenty-four and 26. They’re both going to play a lot this year. We’ve said this: we’re going to score by committee, we’re going to defend by committee and we’re going to goaltend by committee. We don’t have any NLL all-stars from last year or the year before, but that’s good. We’re going to grow.”

 

The Wings showed signs of that desired maturity in the second half. With a 13-9 deficit, Matt Rambo emerged from a timeout, buried his first career goal and appropriately pumped a celebratory fist. Minutes later, Cloutier and defender Frank Brown coupled two goals in a 30-second span. The Wings won the quarter. They took a man-up situation into the final period. Then, after 10 minutes of flirting with a tie game, Currier won a ground ball in the corner of the offensive zone and dove straight at the net for some unassisted heroics to knot the contest at 15 goals apiece.

 

Every time Philadelphia secured the ball, its fan base howled at the prospect of a go-ahead point. It never came. Shawn Evans reclaimed the Bandits’ lead with a minute left. He lept into the boards and jawed with a disgusted home crowd. But when insurance goal got wiped away after video review showed a crease violation, the Wings — yet again — had a chance to tie. They couldn’t convert after pulling DiRuscio for an extra offensive asset. The frustration came out when Wings defender Chet Koneczny and Buffalo defender Mitch de Snoo dropped gloves in the final seconds, renewing the passion that has defined this heated rivalry for decades.

 

“I kind of think Buffalo is one of the teams to beat,” Day said. “They could be the best team in the east. We’re a very young team and we made some young mistakes, but it’s a great learning experience for us.”

 

That is the solace in an 0-1 record for a franchise that is still rightly celebrating existence. Hall, the assistant captain, missed training camp and just Friday night introduced himself to most of the guys on the team. Finnish defender Joakim Miller flew in from his home country a few hours earlier, but he and the injured Blaze Riorden should be available in two weeks. And neither assistant coach, Tracey Kelusky or Ian Rubel, were present for the season opener. It will take time to find an ideal form.

 

“We just had Pauly running around with a clipboard and yelling at refs and trying to coach us,” Hall joked. “You never want to lose, but I think we got better throughout the game, and that’s at least good to build on for our next one against Rochester.”

 

NLL